13981 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

13981 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What is the cost per unit volume to the taxpayer under existing contracts for the delivery of publicly funded elective surgical services provided by third parties, and where costs differ, what is the approximate spread of that difference?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that costs of surgeries delivered by private providers and Health New Zealand vary significantly by procedure, complexity, and by how costs are measured. I am further advised that detailed unit pricing is commercially sensitive. The policy of outsourcing procedures, an approach that has been used under successive governments, is to support better value for money and make full use of available capacity across the health system to ensure more patients are seen and treated sooner.